Among the new stakes listed in a quarterly filing, Paulson reported 2.7 million shares of energy company Hess, which is embroiled in a fight with activist hedge fund Elliott Management, and 2.8 million shares of Vodafone, a telecom giant.

Paulson often engages in merger arbitrage, a strategy that revolves around companies in deals, and Vodafone is closely watched in the deal-making world for signals it will strike an agreement with joint-venture partner Verizon Communications Inc.